B Story
Ronny,
Remeber that, yesterday in your apartment, you were very excited to tell me that you like tea very much, and asked me immediately if i like it too. I said “no” at that time, but, that's not what i want to say.
I said "No" because your question is too complicated for me to answer simply by saying "Yes" or "No". Chinese people believe tea represents a dedicated interaction between Chinese traditions and cultures. Drinking tea is not just quenching a thirst but a spiritual performance.
When I was a child, I lived with my grandparents. My grandpa was a quiet but elegant, strict but caring elder. He loved drinking tea, and always kept a pot of green tea within reach. Whenever I hear a tea pot brewing on a hot stove, I remember my childhood. I still smell the aroma all around tea and fresh air all around me. I remember my grandfather speaking softly to me, having dinner together, and sharing legendary stories about China's mythical past. Close with my grandfather, I also like tea gradually.
B Story
Tea has its doctrine. The tea ceremony originated in China, a man called lu4 Yu3 advocated tea and first wrote for it in the Tang Dynasty. After that, studies for the tea ceremony had been richening increasingly. Many Chinese scholars have their own unique views on the tea ceremony. For example, Mr. Dong Po (Su1 Shi4, one of my favorite poets) in the Song Dynasty, once said “琴棋书画诗酒花，柴米油盐酱醋茶”，which he meant that tea became one of the most basic things in life. He also said that”诗清都为茶饮多”, which means that the awareness of the tea ceremony tends to create a more profound works and novel ideas. However, in my opinion, the tea ceremony enjoys a greater development in Japan in later times. The most famous exponent of the tea ceremony was Sen Rikyu, who codified a style known as wabi, which favored rustic, rough-shaped tea Bowls and spare, simple surroundings.
To brew a pot of tea, you need to grasp much more knowledge. Before you brew, the water quality, the temperature, the tea set, the type of tea and its shape, these all matter. When you are making tea, you should maximize your focus and behave elegantly as far as possible. After you have a pot of tea, the maintenance of the tea set is really important.
My grandpa has passed by for a long time, so I’m not sure whether my feeling of tea is a real like, or whether it is just a fancy of something that has passed.
My advice is that you can refer to relevant materials on tea, and learn to brew a pot of tea. This will not only make you and your friends more enjoyable, but also convey the best respect and response to tea.
ANYWAY，IT’S OK FOR YOU TO EXPRESS YOUR FAVOR OF TEA IN A DIFFERENT WAY. I’M GLAD TO SEE A FORIGHENER LIKE YOU SO INTERESTED IN CHINESE TEA.
